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The Use of the Imperfect in Herodotus

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 February 2009

Extract

1. IN the C.Q.xxxiv (1940), pp. 118 ff., I wrote on ‘Some Uses of the Imperfect in Greek’ (hereafter quoted as ‘Uses’). It occurred tome to check the suggestions there made by examining all the instances in one author. I had no hesitation in choosing Herodotus, who of all authors, except perhaps Homer, presents the most baffling diversity of types (I quote by chapter and the lines of Stein's annotated edition). For purposes of comparison I also read Thucydides and Xenophon's Anabasis 1–4. It would appear that Thucydides retains something of Herodotus' freedom, Xenophon comparatively little.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Classical Association 1957

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References

1 In the passages quoted in ‘Uses’, § 23 (Nub. 556, Ran. 560), where we should translate late simply ‘ate’, Od. 20. 19… … seems to suggest the impf. is durative.